Weil off to see missing parts
POTSDAM — Administrator Michael D. Weil is traveling to Buffalo and Canada to check out the missing dam parts for the village's $3.5 million hydroelectric project.
"We hope to get a general inventory of parts — of all the parts that are available to be seen," he said. "Part of the reason for going is to see what's there, and by deduction, what's not there."
The municipality has been waiting for months for the final delivery of essential parts for the west dam project. Canadian Turbines Inc., Burlington, Ontario, has again failed to deliver on its latest schedule.
Company CEO Richard Kuiper traveled to Potsdam two weeks ago to talk to trustees about the delays. He told them then that he could have everything here and ready to go by Christmas. The last schedule he provided suggested the project would be complete by Thanksgiving.
Now, it looks like neither of those goals will be met, Mr. Weil said.
"I'm hopeful that we'll see what we hope to see. That would be a nice Thanksgiving present," Mr. Weil said. "I'm looking forward to it. I don't think they would be anxious to have somebody go see parts if the parts aren't there."
The village still is waiting to receive the turbine shafts and blades, the gear box and other important parts. It has the generators for the project.
Mr. Weil was still not sure as he left for Buffalo on Tuesday where exactly he would be going in Canada, except that he and Mr. Kuiper would visit three or four locations. The Canadian Turbines executive has refused to provide the municipality with a list of the subcontractors and the location of the parts.
Mr. Kuiper has asked the village to provide a letter of credit to a Canadian bank in order to secure a loan so that he can make final payments to subcontractors for the parts.
The village attorney is researching the matter.
Mr. Weil has said that signing the letter of credit would require the village to guarantee its payment of the $277,486 remaining on the $1,387,432 contract with Canadian Turbines — if and when the parts are delivered and the dam goes into operation.
"I am disappointed and frustrated by the delay, and just about out of patience," Trustee Steven W. Yurgartis said. "Despite the mess, I have my fingers crossed hoping we will get the project started again before the end of the month. If the parts would get here soon, I'd go out there myself with a wrench to help put the darned thing together."
